Ind. Law - It's the Law: "Hunters must know the laws"

With firearms season about to begin for deer hunters, conservation officers are reminding hunters of the most commonly violated laws.

Deer firearms season -- which runs from Nov. 14 to Nov. 29 -- is the most popular of the hunting seasons. It also leads to the most violations, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Gene Davis said.

Davis said the most common violations are:

-- Hunting without a license. Licenses can be bought online at the DNR Web site, http://www.in.gov/dnr, or at some sporting goods stores.

-- Shooting animals out of season or hunting with illegal weapons.

-- Hunting without consent. To arrest someone on the charge of hunting without consent, conservation officers simply need to find someone who can't prove he or she has permission to hunt on the land. The property owner does not need to post "no trespassing signs," and a previous warning from the property owner isn't necessary.

-- Baiting. It isn't illegal to feed deer or put out a salt block for them, but it is illegal to do that and, once the deer are in the habit of coming around, to hunt them.

-- Hunting from the road, hunting from a vehicle and using a spotlight. All are illegal because of the danger of hitting a person or property.

Davis said most of the violations are misdemeanors, and officers usually issue the violator a summons to appear in court.

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Davis said most hunters follow the law, and that helps promote public safety and protect wildlife. He said compliance should continue to improve because Indiana began requiring anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986, to take a hunter education course before getting a hunting license. People, however, are permitted to buy three apprentice licenses before having to take the hunter education course.

Still, there are always some who break the law, Davis said. To report violators, call county police. A dispatcher can radio a conservation officer to respond to the complaint. In addition, people can turn in a violator by calling the DNR tip line at (800) TIP-IDNR (847-4367).

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 19, 2009 08:27 AM
Posted to Indiana Law